Teaching mindfulness in the EFL classroom. The benefits of meditation and mindful breathing for adolescents

Abstract

[eng] This didactic proposal’s main aim is to introduce mindfulness techniques among students of secondary education in the EFL classroom as a response to the level of anxiety and stress of students. Additionally, thanks to mindfulness, sitting posture in class would be improved, motivation would be enhanced, a strong selfesteem would be built by the students, and the class atmosphere would be calmer and more suitable to learn. In the present paper, an extensive and detailed research on the available literature has been done. Such research includes articles dealing with mindfulness, the scientifically-proved benefits of yoga, pranayama, and meditation, mindfulness for teenagers, mindfulness in EFL classroom, mindfulness with students with learning disabilities, mindfulness for educators, mindfulness for university students, and yogic practices in class. Some mindfulness activities are included in this didactic proposal with the objective of combining mindfulness and English learning in order to show how students can clearly benefit from learning relaxation techniques in class. These activities range from guided meditations to mindful writing, among others.